Roy's Boys
by increak96
Summary: AU! Ten-year-old Alphonse shows up on Lieutenant Colonel Mustang's house with his bloody, torn brother. Roy can't help but take them in, but he's determined not to like it! Parental!RoyEd, Parental!RoyAl, Human!Al, maybe Royai\EdWin on the side later...
1. Chapter 1

"Here!" Al whispered to himself, knowing there had to be someone who could help here. Partially releasing his brother's torn, bloody body, he reached up and banged on the gate. "Please help me!" Al screamed into the speaker. "My brother needs help, he's dying, I don't know what to do, and please just help us! Please!" Al begged, shaking the gate.

There was no response, and the front door of the house didn't open.

"Help me! HELP!" Al screamed.

* * *

><p>Roy Mustang sat by the fire sipping tea, a contented smile on his face.<p>

_Get a wife, he says. Pshaw. Who needs a wife when I have fire? And myself, of course._

Outside, amidst the thunder and pouring rain, it sounded like some sort of commotion was going on.

"Probably a bunch of hobos with too much time on their hands." Roy scoffed, bringing his teacup up to his lips and taking another sip.

"HELP!"

Roy jerked. That was definitely a distinct cry for help—no doubt about it. Being the Lieutenant Colonel he was, he couldn't very well let somebody scream for help on his front porch all night, could he? Then again, maybe it was just more hobos causing trouble….

"Please! He's dying! Help!"

Roy stood up, setting his cup down on the coffee table. Not only was there death now involved, but that was most certainly the cry of a child—a young one. Ten or eleven, perhaps?

Roy stepped onto his front porch and peered into the blackness, squinting and shielding his eyes from the elements that pounded into the pathway.

"Please, sir! My brother's dying!"

He saw a small child frantically banging on the gate and trying to get in. There was a bundle next to him. Probably a wrapped up blanket with food or clothes inside.

Roy hesitated, but then removed his gloves and shoved them into his pockets, dashing out into the water and stopping at the gate to speak with the boy.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Please! My brother! He got hit by a car, but the driver left! I don't know what to do, and I'm scared!"

"Stop that sobbing, first of all." Roy's voice was cold, and the boy shut up instantly. "Second of all, where were your parents? Why weren't they watching you?"

"Our mother… died… and father… we don't know where he is." The child hung his head, started to cry.

"Don't start that again." Roy flung the gates open, frustration showing in his eyes. "Now, where is your brother?" _Probably has a few cuts and bruises. It'll only take a moment, then I can call the orphanage and have them keep these little—_

"He's right there, sir!" The boy pointed to the bundle, and Roy tensed. That bundle… was a human? That bundle wasn't moving… and that bundle was seeping red into the rainwater.

Roy opened the blanket up and saw the tattered form of a young blonde inside. He had blood streaming down his face and through his hair. His chest was torn open, and road rash covered his arm and leg. Even the automail was—auto…mail?

"He attempted human transmutation…" Roy muttered to himself. At this point, Roy had a choice to make. This boy had done something detestable, and he could easily leave the child on his doorstep and walk away without dirtying his hands. No one would blame him for punishing a sinner such as this. Or… he could keep the boy… and cover up the automail….

A small fist closed around Roy's jacket as the rain poured down, soaking the trio by the gate.

"Please… he was scared… and I know he regrets it… he wanted Mom back… Please!" the boy screamed. "Please don't punish him!"

Roy suddenly found himself knocked flat on his butt with a child clinging to him and screaming.

"Let him live, please!"

"I told you twice now to stop that infernal wailing! You're giving me a headache!" Roy shouted.

The boy jumped away, and Roy stood up. "Regardless of your brother's reasons, what he did was forbidden, and I cannot allow that to go unnoticed. I'm sorry for your loss." Roy turned and started up the path back to his house.

He couldn't. He just couldn't take those two in. If he was ever found out, he would never have a chance at becoming the Furher… He just couldn't, and the world would have to get over that!

His steps slowed, and he glanced over his shoulder. The younger brother had thrown his body over the older one's, and it looked like he was trying to keep the dying person warm.

Roy's hands balled into fists and he cursed under his breath, standing in the rain for at least five minutes before turning and going back to the two boys. He picked them both up in his arms, earning a surprised yelp from the only one still conscious, and started back towards the house.

"Thank you, sir! Please, just call the hospital! You don't have to keep us! We'll leave you alone, and we—"

"Unless you want me to drop you right now and continue to the house without you, I suggest you learn when to talk and when to be quiet. Learn fast." Roy's voice was once again sharp and businesslike. There would be no tom foolery within his house, especially not because of two brat children who meddled in the wrong affairs.

"Yes, sir," the boy whispered.

"Good. What's your name?"

"Alphonse Elric. Everyone calls me Al."

Roy nodded. "What's your brother's name?"

"Edward Elric. We call him Ed."

Roy nodded again, entering the house. "You two stay here. I'll call a doctor and we'll set you up in the guest room. You'll be fine there, right?" The way he said it made it very obvious that Al and Ed had no choice. They would be staying in the guest bedroom even if Roy had to strap them down to the bed and knock them out with chloroform. Hmm… knock out with chloroform. Now that was an idea.

Roy shook his head and continued to the kitchen to grab the phone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A\N: Okay... just because I love you guys... *headdesks* DOING THIS MANUALLY. XD**

* * *

><p>"Yes," Roy repeated for the twentieth time that night. "Yes, there are two orphaned children in my home. The one is injured, and I need a doctor here immediately." Roy slammed his fist into the wall. "No, I do not want them admitted to the hospital! I just need Maes Hughes' family physician here as soon as possible!" He paused. "I've already told you my name is Roy Mustang! I'm a close, personal friend of his!" Roy slammed the phone down and pinched the bridge of his nose, calming almost instantly.<p>

He glanced at the doorway and saw Al sitting beside Ed's fallen form and rubbing his forehead gently. "It's alright, brother. Mustang-san will take care of us. We'll..." He hiccupped, trying to hold back his tears. "We'll be... alright!" He collapsed on top of his brother's body, still trying not to cry. "He's not moving, Mustang-san! He's not moving anymore!"

Roy growled to himself, walking over to reassure the boy.

"Al, he is fine. Would you calm down?"

Then Roy took a closer look at Ed's face. There was no air going in and out. Then he looked at Ed's chest. It wasn't moving. Roy froze.

If he called an ambulance, they would see the automail and that would raise suspicions, not to mention the fact that Ed would be long gone by the time they arrived. If they waited for Hughes doctor….

Roy pushed Al out of the way and knelt down, opening Ed's mouth and pinching his nose. He locked his mouth with Ed's and gave two long, slow breaths, forcing air into the boy's still lungs.

He pulled away and placed his hands over Ed's chest, leaning forwards and giving five shoves before returning his mouth to Ed's.

"Al, call Hughes!" he said, pulling away and doing the compressions again.

"Who's Hughes?" Al asked, jumping up and grabbing the phone.

Rather than answer, Roy quickly spouted off the phone number before pushing more air into Ed's lungs. While doing compressions, he repeated the number to Al again, and the little boy diligently punched in the numbers.

"Hello? Is Hughes-san home?" he asked, obviously trying to keep the panic out of his voice.  
>Roy did compressions again, panting now as he was running out of air himself.<p>

"I need to speak with him! I'm with Mustang-san right now." Al shook his head violently. "No, I'm not a prank caller!"

Mustang went back to compressions and shouted at the phone, "Put Hughes on you ungrateful son of a dog!"

Al put the phone back to his ear and nodded. "Hurry!" There was a pause, and then he said, "Hughes-san, I need help! I'm with Mustang-san and my brother is dying! Mustang-san couldn't get a hold of the doctor, and we need you!"

"Hughes, hurry or you're a dead man!" Roy shouted at the phone, completely losing his patience and partially wishing he had left the orphans in the rain.  
>Al nodded and then hung up the phone. "He's coming, Mustang-san."<p>

Roy nodded, doing the compressions again, and then another breath. Then he felt Ed's pulse. He shook his head. "No good." He leaned back down and started the whole process over again.

The minutes seemed to pass like hours as Roy continued to do CPR while Al watched on nervously. Finally, Roy fell back, panting and gasping for air, and Ed still wasn't moving.

"Mustang-san, let me do it for a while," Al offered. "Show me how!"

Roy shook his head. "I can't—let you—do that. You're not strong enough." Roy felt for a pulse, and while there was one now, it was extremely weak and just barely there.

"Come on, Hughes," Roy grumbled to himself, pulling a marker out of his back pocket. He pulled Ed's jacket and shirt off, and then drew a transmutation circle right over his heart. He glanced at his hand, making sure the gloves were still of before snapping his fingers twice over the markings and then shoving his hand full-force into Ed's chest. "Wake up, dangit!"

Bluish white electricity coursed through Ed's chest, shaking his whole body, and Roy quickly removed his hands, not wanting to shock him for too long and risk damaging his heart or lungs. Ed moaned softly, his eyes fluttering a few times before finally opening.

Even though Roy hated it, he found himself breathing a sigh of relief when Ed tried to sit, obviously aware enough to realize he wasn't at home and he didn't know Mustang.

"Who are you?" Ed gasped for air, falling back down to the floor."That's not important right now. Stay on the ground, don't move, and don't speak. A good friend of mine with some medical education is coming over, and he can help you get back on your feet."

"…Al? Where's Al?" Ed tried to sit up again, but Roy pushed him back to the floor.

"I said keep still!" Ed stared up at Roy, who had his fingers in a 'snapping' position, ready to fire. "You will obey orders or, I swear, I will burn you to a crisp."

Edward jumped up, swooning a bit. "I don't have to take orders from you! I'm just fine, and I'm leaving!" Ed turned to grab the door, but Al grabbed him around waist.

"Brother! You're hurt! Mustang-san can help you, please stay!" Al stared into his brother golden orbs, and Ed stared right back. Roy cross his arms over his chest and harrumphed, not at all pleased with Ed's demeanor.

Ed shook his head no. "Al, we can get help somewhere else."

"But…But…."

"No buts, Al!" Ed shouted, and then stumbled back a bit.

Faster than light, Roy whipped his hand forward and grabbed the automail arm, disconnecting it and holding it high out of Ed's reach.

"If you want your arm back, shorty, you're going to have to wait here for Hughes. Besides, you owe me a new rug. You got blood all over that one." Ed glared, and Roy smirked. "It was Persian rug, too. What a shame."

"Where do you expect me to get the money for that?" Ed snarled, and then stumbled forwards, still uneasy.

Roy grinned, lifting Ed's chin and forcing eye contact. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

Ed jumped at his automail, but Roy just laughed at him, pulling the arm back out of his reach. Ed staggered for a little bit, and then fell to his knees.  
>"You…You…"<p>

The door flew open and Hughes rushed in.

"What happened, what's going on, where's the kid, and do you have a wife yet?" Hughes demanded, whipping his head around and trying to find the reason he got out of bed and broke all the speed limits on the way to an old friend's house at three in the morning.

"He's down there, he got hit by a car, and no I don't!" Roy crossed his arms over his chest, glaring viciously.

"What's in your hand?" Hughes asked.

"Oh, this? This is what Ed will be getting back as soon as he decides to behave." Roy grinned at Ed, who glared, once again trying to get to his feet.  
>Hughes picked him up and turned to Roy. "I have very limited medical knowledge, you know that, Roy."<p>

"Do the best you can." Roy shrugged. "We can't take him to the hospital, so you have to make do."

Hughes sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll work upstairs in the guest room."

Roy nodded. "Sounds good. Why don't you take Al with you, too?"

Hughes frowned, pausing for a moment before a grin spread over his features. "Oh, but there will be lots of blood, and if Ed's screaming and all… well, I just don't want the little guy to see his older brother that way. So why don't you watch him?"

"What?"

"I think that's a good idea don't you I thought you would okay I'm going to work now bye!" Hughes dashed out of the room, Edward in his arms, leaving Al and Roy alone in the foyer.

* * *

><p><strong>A\N: Geeze, I forgot how much I loved this story... XD Gonna have to finish it for sure now! :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Roy turned slightly and glanced at the child, who stared up at him part afraid and part not knowing what to do.

"Um… Mustang-san… I—"

"Please find some way to occupy yourself." Roy headed down the hall and into his bedroom, quickly changing into a pair of black pants and a loose-fitting white shirt. Tossing his wet clothes into the bathtub and returning his gloves to his hands, he started back to the living room to finish his tea by the fire.  
>He stepped into the room, and froze. "Al?"<p>

"Could I please stay with you, sir?" Al asked, watching Roy's closely as the older man walked to his reading chair.

"Why?" Roy sat down, grabbing his tea cup and a book.

"Well… Well because…." Al stopped, shaking his head. "I don't know," he mumbled, staring at his feet.

Roy rolled his eyes, moving his cup and book to the sides and motioning for Al to sit on his lap. Al giggled, jumping onto Roy's lap and leaning back, nestling into Roy's 100% cotton shirt.

Roy sighed and turned the page of his book, continuing his study. Al gasped, grasping the book—and Roy's hands in the process—and staring at it.  
>"This is an Alchemy book! These transmutation circles are amazing!" Shatter! "Oops."<p>

Roy sighed heavily, trying not to snap at the boy. Like, really. Snap. The boy was at least excited about Alchemy, and that meant perhaps Roy could put him to good use. But did Al have to break a cup over it?

"I—I'll fix it." Al said, pulling a moist piece of chalk from his pocket and drawing on the brick hearth. He picked the shards up and put them in the circle before clapping his hands together, and then placing them on the circle.

Sure enough, Al turned around and held up a seamless, polished teacup, a look of pride on his face. Roy took the cup and nodded, examining the cup and then placing it on the coffee table.

"Well done."

"Really?" Al hung his head, shuffling his feet. "Brother is much better than I am."

Roy stopped, glancing at the brown-haired child standing before him. It was possible—even probable—that Al felt inferior compared to his brother, who was obviously more skilled if he had already attempted human transmutation.

"Everyone advances at their own pace, Al. My father was much more powerful as a child than I was. He was disappointed in me, even if he never said it, but today, I'm the Flame Alchemist and a Lieutenant Colonel."

Al looked up at Roy with wide eyes. "You're a State Alchemist?"

Roy nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Woah…" Al breathed.

Roy hesitated, but then said, "Come on. Let's get you out of those wet clothes and into something dry. I'll ask Hughes to buy you two some things, but for now you can wear a shirt. It'll probably be big enough.

"Thanks, Mustang-san!" Al jumped up, hugging Roy around the waist.

Roy stiffened, and then slowly, awkwardly, he patted Al's back, waiting a few moments before gently pushing him away. He cleared his throat. "Anyways... let's, uh, let's get you dressed."

* * *

><p>"STOP MOVING, ED!" Hughes shouted, trying to finished off the bandage he was applying to the injured child's arm.<p>

"It hurts! ACK!" Ed gritted his teeth, trying to cope with the pain all over his body. "How… How am I going to pay that self-absorbed weasel back? I don't have any money!" he said, changing the subject to get his mind off of the agony.

"He'll probably make you work for him for a while." Hughes sealed the bandage and gently patted it. "Finally finished."

"There is no way I'm working for that son of a gun!"

Hughes laughed. "You have to. I don't know if you know this, but he's the Flame Alchemist and a Lieutenant Colonel in the army. You don't want to mess with him."

"Don't tell me who I don't want to mess with!" Ed stopped. "And he did mention something about burning me to a crisp."

Hughes sighed. "If you keep this attitude, he'll take your arm and your leg. He did you a favor by not leaving you on the porch, so behave, alright?"

Ed glared. "Yeah, sure."

Hughes shrugged and stood up. "Oh, and one more thing."

Ed nodded.

"Doesn't this picture of my girlfriend look amazing?" Hughes shouted, shoving a photo in Ed's face.

Ed raised his eyebrow, giving Hughes a curious look. "Uh… sure…." He got up out of bed and started for the door. "I guess I'll just head downstairs and find Al."

Hughes nodded. "Probably a good idea. I have to head back home, though. My girlfriend's coming over tomorrow, and we're spending the whole day together, and then I'm proposing, and so I'm all nervous." Hughes shrugged. "Gonna try and get some shut eye."

Edward nodded. "Sounds good." He opened the door and headed out, going down the stairs with Hughes right on his tail. They got downstairs and went into the living room.

"Al!" Ed smiled.

Al jumped up off of the couch and dashed over. "Brother!" He grabbed Ed in a big hug. "You're okay!"

"Duh." Ed rolled his eyes.

Roy stood up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Good to see you're all better." He grinned, eyes lighting up mischievously.

"Yeah." Ed glared at him.

Roy just smirked, and then looked to Hughes. "Well done, Hughes. And thanks."

Hughes nodded. "Anytime, Roy! I'm going to head home for the night. Call if you need anything!" He left the living room and headed out the front door. "Get a wife!"

"SHUT UP, HUGHES!"

Roy took a deep breath, steadying himself. He turned to Ed. "Well now, Edward, I think it's time to talk about your payment for that rug of mine."

Ed sighed, shoving his hand in his pocket. "Mm-hmm."

"If you're going to be of use to me, you'll have to get a State Alchemist certification. After that, I'll put you to work." He smirked. "Better start studying."

Ed glared. "Sure thing," he said sarcastically.

"Library's down the hall and to the right. You can start there."

Ed rolled his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young man, or you'll just go straight to bed."

Ed grinned, extremely tempted to roll his eyes. But he also really wanted to see how big this library was. So he simply shrugged his shoulder and started down the hall.

_It shouldn't take too long to get out of here. The jerk's an idiot after all. This time tomorrow, I'm home free._


	4. Chapter 4

The weeks slowly passed as Ed studied, and Al helped him out and watched from the sidelines. During the entire time, Roy kept an extremely close eye on them, but Ed was not deterred. He knew eventually he would get a chance to escape—and that Saturday night, three weeks from the night Roy found the two on his porch, his chance came.

"Ed! Al! I'm going to the store to pick up a few things, will you two be okay alone?" Roy grabbed his trench coat from the rack and glanced at the two boys sitting in the living room by the ever-present fire.

Al looked at Ed. "Yeah." Ed's eyes didn't leave the pages of the book he was reading.

"And you won't try anything, correct?"

"Yeah."

Roy sighed, not liking the lack of response Ed started giving him. Rather than their usual banter, Ed had gone silent and cold towards Roy, and he didn't know why. Not that Roy wasn't cold himself… it was just unnatural for Ed. Then again, he'd been reading a lot, and Ed was always quiet and enthralled when he read.

Shaking his head, Roy made a mental note to talk to him about it later, and then he stepped out.

"I'll be back soon. Don't do anything stupid."

He closed the door and started down the street, breathing in the delicate smell of the night. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and though there was a chill in the air, the average jacket could easily keep it out.

Roy let out a contented sigh and walked until he got to the local general store, which was just a few blocks away, and went inside. He only needed six or seven items, so this wasn't going to take very long, thank goodness. He wasn't willing to leave Ed alone for too long yet.

Then again, Al was there, and he really liked Roy. He would somehow convince the older Elric to stay. He had for the past three weeks, anyways. After Roy had researched their names and tried to find their families, he figured out they were orphans, and had no living relatives. He had heard some talk of a 'Winry' and a 'Granny' but anytime Roy pressed the subject, Ed wouldn't respond, and Al would be shut down by a glare. The same with thing with automail. Roy was convinced it was human transmutation, but every time he mentioned that, Ed would insist they were lost in a train accident—the same one that took his mother's life and left him and his brother alone. He wouldn't speak of the father.

Roy grabbed his groceries and left the store, headed for home. He'd barely even realized he was shopping, as he had been too deep in thought. There were probably some items he could have saved a few extra cens on, but he didn't really care. He was exhausted and frustrated. All he really wanted to do was go home and sleep.

Roy heard a soft rumble, and growled to himself.

"Sure, why not? Rain. Rain sounds lovely." He rolled his eyes. "And now you're talking to yourself, Mustang. Genius."

"Mustang-san! Mustang-san!"

Roy jerked at the panicked voice of Alphonse Elric, and he squinted in the darkness to see the young blonde running for him, waving his arms madly to get his attention. Roy sprinted ahead to meet him.

"What's wrong, Alphonse?" he asked.

"Ed ran away! I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen! He said he was going to leave and come back for me when I was ready!"

Roy wanted to slap himself. _Edward, you are so stupid! So, so stupid!_

"Come on, Alphonse, we'll get you home and then I'll ask my Lieutenant to keep an eye on you while I search for Edward." Roy started for the house at a brisk walk—one that made little Al run to keep up with.

As they made their way, Roy's mind was practically buzzing with enraged thoughts.

_You, Edward, are in so much trouble, I'm just about to take your automail _leg,_ too! You are grounded for at least a week—no, two weeks! And no library privileges! And I will make you drink milk every morning for a week!_

Before Roy knew it, he was standing on his porch and fumbling with his keys and rain started to fall from the sky.

He threw the door open and stormed into the kitchen, dropping the groceries on the floor. He snatched the phone from the hook and dialed Hawkeye's number. If only she let him use it for un-work-related business, too…

"Hello?" Riza's voice came over the wire.

"Hello, Lieutenant. I need to ask a favor of you."

"Yes, sir."

"Would you come by and keep an eye on…" Roy stopped suddenly. No one at the office, save Hughes, knew about Ed and Al. They had been Roy's little secret, and he didn't want it blown yet. If anyone else in the military found out about Ed's…little problem… and the kids' amazing alchemy. He knew he could trust Riza, but…

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, the matter seems to have handled itself. Sorry for disturbing you." Roy hung up the phone and turned to Al. "You'll stay put for me, right?"

Al nodded. "But why can't you call Hughes-san?" he asked curiously.

"He's with his wife on vacation right now. He won't be home until late tomorrow night." Roy headed for the door, storing his gloves in his pockets. "You wait, and I'll be right back, understand?"

Al nodded again.

Roy opened the door and stepped out into the chilly night. The storm was beginning to pick up, and he couldn't help but think, _See, you idiot, this is why you're supposed to stay inside._

Roy stopped. He could stay. He could just tell Al that Ed was able to take care of himself, and he could let Ed go. Did he really want to get wet for the second time that month for these two little brats who'd caused him nothing but trouble?

Well, maybe not nothing but… There was the amazing alchemy, and the opportunity Ed provided. Then there had been the laughs when Al accidently spilled Roy's flour canister, and Ed had declared flour war. There was also that one time Ed was on the chair reading, and Al crawled up onto Roy's lap and snuggled away by the fire, drifting off to sleep. Ed had looked so… jealous then. Like he wanted that, too.

Roy scoffed, but started down the road, searching the allies for the bright red coat Ed had made himself a few days back. But even bright red could be missed on a night like tonight.

"Edward!" he called out, hoping that wouldn't give Ed a chance to run, but rather to return to Roy where he belong—was supposed to be because he was in trouble.

_You don't care._ Roy shook his head. _You don't care. You don't, you don't, you don't!_

Roy took off running as the rain came down harder. The quicker he got out of the weather, the better. But his search took him nearly all to the way to the edge of Central before he heard it. A scream. A pained scream just a few blocks away.

"Edward…?" he wondered, curious as to why the boy was screaming. A small bit of worry started to gnaw at his stomach, but he forced it away, once again telling himself he didn't care.

He turned a corner and saw a tuft of blonde hair sticking out from behind a trash can. Roy slowly approached it, hearing a soft gasp and a grunt. Hesitantly, he poked his head around the can, wincing when he saw little Ed, curled up and trying to dry while holding his automail arm and—wait, what?  
>"How did you get your arm back?" Roy shouted, making Ed jump three feet in the air and slam himself back against the wall to keep away. "Did you crawl on my countertops to reach it? Or did you transmute something in my house?"<p>

Ed stammered for a response, too shocked Roy had found him to answer. "I—none of your business, Mustang!"

"Excuse me?" Roy grabbed Ed by the arm. "It's _my_ house and _my_ rules you've broken! Of course it's my business!"

"Well, it's _my _arm!" Ed screamed back.

Roy laughed bitterly, giving the arm a slight jerk. "Not for long it isn't! And do you want to know how long I'm going to punish you for this?"

"You can't punish me! You're not my dad!" Ed tried to pull away, but made a face and stopped resisting.

Roy heard a creak, but ignored it and got down close to Ed's face. "I don't have to be your dad to punish you, kid. You're still under my charge and living in my house."

"I don't even want to live in your house! Let me go! Now!" Ed jerked away again, and this time, Roy took notice of the noise.

"Edward, what is that noise? Is that your arm?"

"Shut up, I'm fine!"

SMACK!

The palm of Roy's hand fell neatly against Ed's face, clipping it. Ed let out a little squeal, trying to bite it back, and then he whipped his head in Roy's direction, pure fury written in his eyes. Roy opened his mouth to speak again, but then his hand went warm. Something stick was seeping into his glove, and he switched his hold on Ed's arm to pull away his hand and look at it.

He held in the gasp, eyes widening. His glove was stained red.

"Edward, are you bleeding?" Roy knelt down, starting to pull off Ed's coat.

"No! I'm fine, geeze, leave me alone!" Ed struggled to get away, but Roy held him in place and pulled off the boy's upper clothing.

The flesh around Ed's automail was torn, and the arm was put into the port in a twisted way, sparks spitting through the metal joints. Blood was starting to trail down Edwards chest, and his arm was already pretty much covered.

Roy slowly lifted his eyes to meet Ed's. The anger was gone. His earlier decided punishments forgotten. Having to run through the rain the farthest thing from his mind. And _any _initiative vanished.

"Edward, I…" He shook his head, mouth agape. What was he supposed to say? Other than… _those _words. Those cursed words. Making him wound his pride.

Roy looked at the tears starting to form in Ed's eyes. Those were from pain. He'd made the boy cry, and not just any boy. _The _boy. Edward Elric. The boy who never cried, even when he had a perfectly good reason to.

"I'm sorry."

It was simple, no doubt, but Ed's eyes registered shock for a moment before returning to their hateful glare. Roy tenderly removed the automail limb, and then picked Ed up off of the ground, carrying his precious cargo back towards the house.

"Where are you taking me?" Ed snarled. "After I got my arm back, I fixed your stupid rug!"

Roy didn't respond. He didn't want to tell Ed they were going to Roy's house because… Roy just wanted Ed. He was unsure why, and though he tried to convince himself it was just Ed's potential, he knew that wasn't it. He just felt… love towards this little boy. Or maybe, at least, a glimpse of what love was supposed to feel like.

* * *

><p><strong>A\N: Yay! Parental!RoyEd bonding moment! So, I'm kind of worried Roy was getting too soft, too fast… what do you guys think?<strong>

**EXPLANATIONS!**

**The scream Roy heard was Ed trying to take off his automail limb and failing miserably. The torn flesh was from the weight the automail added pulling on his muscles and skin. I remember Pinako talking about 'recovery' and at first I thought, 'recovery from the surgery. Makes sense.' And then I started thinking about it on a deeper level (cause I'm weird like that) and I realized, they're always talking about how heavy this automail is, and if your body (especially the body of a little boy) is used to have an ARM of ARM WEIGHT, would the sudden heaviness of the metal put strain on your muscles and skin? I don't know, but that was the logic I came up with. Ed had recovered, but then Roy took away his arm for three weeks (this also explains why he didn't just fix the rug in the first place, thank you GothicRomantic99 for pointing that out!) and now that it's back, it's hurting him because he didn't attach it properly and gave himself so recovery or rest.**

**Yeah, I'm not sure if Pinako is related to Ed or not. Pinako and Ed's Dad (I hate trying to spell his name) were drinking buddies, but I don't think they were related… I'm not sure. It fit the story this way, and I didn't really know, so I just went with it!**

**Reviews welcome! :D **

**Also, not sure if I got this in my first chapter like I normally do... but... I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! AT ALLL! JUST THE PLOT BUNNIES!  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A\N: Bleh. Cruddy Chapter. Sorry... I tried! I'm so running on no energy and it's been so long since I worked on FMA... XP**

**Warning! This chapter contains spanking of a bratty alchemist! No likey, no ready!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

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><p>By the time they arrived at the Mustang house, Ed had stopped trying to resist and had actually rested his head against Roy's shoulder, his eyelids drifting down with every rhythmic step the Colonel took. His human arm grasping Roy's shirt tightly for fear of falling, he appeared to be hugging the older man. Of course, this was ridiculous. Ed hated Roy with every fiber of his being and in no way felt attached to him.<p>

"How are you feeling?"

Ed growled his response, and Roy chuckled.

"Better apparently."

Ed said nothing as Roy wiped off his feet and reached for his key to open the front door. He frowned, shifting Ed to his hip to get better access , and Ed watched carefully as he probed around in the deep pants pocket. Finally, he shook his head.

"I think I left it in the house." He raised his fist and knocked sharply on the door.

The two remained in silence while they waited for Al to get the door, and after a few awkward moments, it swung open. Ed stared, his jaw hanging open. That was _not _Al.

"Riza! What are you doing here?"

"A better question, sir, is why are you raising two boys without the State's knowledge?"

Roy sputtered, rubbing the back of his neck and shifting nervously. Ed stared at him for a moment, and finally turned to the woman called Riza, anger in his eyes.

"Where's my brother? What did you do to him?"

Al poked his head around the door, smiling widely at him. "I'm okay, brother. Don't yell at Miss Riza. She's really nice!"

Ed frowned, wishing he could cross his arms over his chest. He couldn't, for obvious reasons, but he could glare viciously. To his surprise, she smiled back, not at all deterred by his stubborn attitude like most people were. She didn't seem frustrated with him either…

"It's a long story, Lieutenant. But right now, Ed needs medical help, and I'm worried I'll have to call a doctor."

"I don't see the issue with this, Colonel. I think that's exactly what we should do."

Roy hesitated, glancing at Edward, and then turned to Riza. "Edward has performed human transmutation, Riza, and at his age, I can't explain away automail limbs."

Riza frowned. "Just say he was in a car wreck."

"What if they want specifications? And what if they see something internal they think doesn't line up? Plus, the State has access to all medical records, and he has to go under my name because he doesn't have parents. I can't risk it."

Riza sighed, pulling them both into the house and shutting the door. She rolled up the sleeves on her black blouse and started for the kitchen. "I got a few years of basic medical training. Let's see what I can do."

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><p>After the automail limb was attached properly, Roy pulled Ed aside to speak with him privately while Al helped Riza make dinner. Sitting on the chair in his office, Roy looked down at Ed, who was standing before him with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.<p>

"Edward, I am very disappointed in you. I told you to stay here."

Ed blew his bangs out of his eyes, stomping his foot. "So? I didn't _want _to stay here!"

Roy shook his head. "I don't care. I'm your legal guardian, and when I tell you to do something, you are going to listen to me. You are also going to apologize for disobeying."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'm sorry and all that. Can I go eat?"

Roy frowned at him, taking his chin to get his attention. Looking the child dead in the eyes, he spoke again, his voice taking a very low and dangerous tone. "Edward, I get the feeling you think I am joking."

Ed didn't seem overly intimidated by that statement, but there was a flicker of alarm in his eyes, if only for a moment. He didn't say anything, but gave Roy a look like, 'are you going somewhere with this?'

Roy sighed, getting to his feet and removing his right glove. "Edward, you are getting a spanking."

The response was immediate.

"Wh-what? You can't!"

Roy pulled a stool over and propped his foot up on it, taking Edward by the arms and lifting him up over his knee.

"Don't you dare! Let go! Let me go! NOW!"

Roy shook his head sadly and attempted to grab Ed's pants, but the rebellious child was kicking and squirming and thrashing, which made it very difficult to accomplish anything. Getting rather aggravated with the situation, he growled, removing his leg from the wooden seat and walking over to the couch.

He sat down and forcefully pushed Ed over his left knee while pulling his pants and underwear to the ground. His right leg pinned Ed's legs, disabling the wild spasms that had kept Ed's rear end safe up until this point. Pushing Ed's head towards the ground, he raised his hand and spoke in a very calm and level voice.

"Edward, I don't have to explain why I'm doing this because you know. However, you may not know this: This is going to hurt me more than you. I am in no way angry with you, and I am doing this because wrongs must be made right, and you have to learn from your mistakes. I know you're just a child, but you should be old enough to understand this concept."

With that, he brought his hand down, and Ed let out a loud shout, his wails increasing in volume as Roy continued to land smacks to his backside. He kept and even and steady rhythm, counting out the number in his head as Ed screamed over his lap.

"Mustang! Mustang, stop it! That hurts! Ow! Ouch! Not so hard!"

It was at this point that Ed decided to let a profanity fly. One that started with 'b', ended with 'd', had 'astar' in the middle, and was directed at Roy.

"Excuse me? You will not speak to me like that, young man! You're getting ten more!" Roy increased the force in which he was swinging, trying to ignore the erratic sobs from the small child.

"Oww! I'm sorry, I won't say it again! Please don't spank me anymore!"

Roy did stop, but not because Ed had asked him to. It was because the boy had received a total of fifteen swats, and his bottom was turned a light shade of red. Roy let him up and raised the child's pants up over his bum, being careful not to hit the sore skin. Standing up and putting a fist on his hip, he pointed to the corner of the room. "Now, Edward, you are going to stand in that corner until dinner, and you are not getting dessert tonight."

Ed nodded sadly and headed over, facing into the wall and sniffling softly. Roy sighed heavily, shaking his head and wondering how on earth children were so stubborn.

"I'm going to do paperwork, and I want complete silence from you, understand?"

Ed nodded somberly, and Roy returned the gesture with much more affirmation. With that, he walked over to his desk and sat down, sorting through his dreaded papers and signing them.

_Hopefully Riza won't be too long with super… _

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><p>Riza was not long with dinner at all, and soon the four were seated around Roy's round table, plates piled high with food. They all dug in right away, complimenting Riza on her cooking around mouthfuls of mashed potatoes, steak, corn, and steamed broccoli.<p>

"Thank you," she smiled, raising her fork to her mouth and taking a large bite.

"I haven't had food this good since…" Al's voice trailed, and Ed finished his thought semi-sadly.

"Since Mom died…"

"Yeah…"

There was a bit of a silence, and Roy and Riza both watched the children to see if they would need comforting or just wanted to be left alone. After a few moments, Ed shoved more potatoes into his mouth and grabbed his glass of juice, washing it all down.

"Man, that's good!"

Al also began to eat again, and the tension in the room was released.

Just minutes later, the boys were done with their food, having scarfed it all down as fast as they possibly could, and Al turned down dessert because his brother wasn't allowed to have any. Roy excused them from the table and got himself and Riza each a piece of Devil's Chocolate Cake.

"Colonel, do you think it was right to spank Edward? Wasn't he punished enough?"

Roy sighed heavily, taking a bite and mulling over the situation as he chewed. Swallowing, he answered her question. "I thought he had. I was hoping he had. But as soon as I tried to explain to him what was wrong about it, he gave me a real attitude like he didn't care or learn anything at all. I felt like I had to."

Riza nodded. "Alright. So long as you were thinking about it with a clear head."

Roy smiled weakly. "Gee, thanks. You think I'm abusive."

Riza chuckled softly. "I didn't say that. I just know you have a temper."

Roy rolled his eyes and got to his feet, hearing the Elric brothers readying themselves for bed. "Well, I guess I'm going to take them some cake."

Riza grinned, but said nothing. "They'll walk all over you after this."

"If they do, I'll put'em over my knee and we'll fix that right up."

Roy took a piece in each hand and grabbed some forks, starting for the stairs. "I'll be right back down once I'm done. Want to, uh…" He paused. "Want to stay for a while and watch a movie?"

Riza considered that for a while, and then slowly nodded her head. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Okay. I'll be down." Roy walked out of the room and mentally screamed.

_Yes!_

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><p><strong>A\N: Yup. That's how it's gonna go down. *facedesk*<strong>

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**A\N: Gosh... this took FOREVER. I am SO SORRY guys! In all honesty, I just don't like the show anymore... I don't watch it... But I don't want to discontinue a fanfiction-that's always been a pet peeve of mine. So I HAVE to finish it... sorry if the writing is bad... I tried!**

**Someone asked me how Roy knew Ed preformed human transmutation just from looking at his automail, and I was shocked and horrified to find... I DON'T KNOW. I feel awful saying this, but I really don't know. It totally slipped me, and that's bad writing on my part. I tried to throw a bit of an explanation together in this chapter... I'm so sorry guys... this is embarrassing... gosh...  
><strong>

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><p>Ed woke up to the sound of a horn blaring outside, and he sat up, yawning loudly and looking around for his brother. He wasn't too surprised to see he was gone—Al had always been a morning person—and he slowly got up and headed for the door.<p>

He stopped suddenly when he felt the breeze blowing against his bare skin.

"Ah! Where are my clothes?"

He looked around but didn't see them. Glancing around, he stepped towards the closet across from his bed, opening it up slowly. It was empty, and he shut the door, getting down on his hands and knees and crawling under his bed. There were a few pieces of cloth down there along with a cardboard box split open on the side, but other than that, nothing.

_Hmm… I wonder what's inside…_

Ed crawled under a little further, reaching his hand out towards the box, taking hold of one of the flaps and pulling it open.

"Edward? Are you in here?"

Ed jumped up, banging his head on the box spring. "Yeah," he grumbled, crawling out from under the bed while still keeping his lower half hidden. He looked up at Roy, who was holding a bundle in his hands and giving him an odd look.

"What are you doing under the bed?"

"Where are my clothes?" Ed countered question with question, smirking slightly.

Roy let out a soft chuckle and got down on one knee, holding out the clothing in his hand. "Here ya' go. Your other clothes were filthy, so I went to get you some new ones. Didn't think you'd wake up…"

"Oh…"

Ed pulled the shirt on over his head, and Roy continued to hold out the rest of the clothing for him.

"So, why were you under the bed?"

"Oh, that? I was looking for my clothes. I shove them under the bed a lot."

"Do you now?" Roy released the last article of clothing as Ed finished dressing himself, and he pointed to the bathroom. "Go brush your teeth and comb your hair, and then come downstairs for breakfast. I'm taking you and your brother to the park today."

Ed nodded, walking towards the bathroom before stopping suddenly, an odd thought occurring to him. "Mustang…" Roy glanced at him, hand on the doorknob to the exit. "How did you know I preformed human transmutation?"

Roy stiffened for just a moment. "Oh, that? Well, I have access to all the medical records in Amestris, and I knew I hadn't seen your name before. The automail was quite obviously new, and since there was no record… I took a guess. That's all."

Ed scowled. "But I know an automail mechanic. Lots of people do."

"But it still goes on the record."

"Well, I live in a small town."

"Doesn't matter."

"But—"

"Edward!" Roy scolded, giving him a hard stare. "This discussion is closed. Am I understood?"

Ed grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Yes, sir."

"Don't roll your eyes at me."

Ed fought the desperate urge to repeat the forbidden action, but he simply nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

Roy gave a sharp nod, opening the door and stepping out. "Good."

Ed turned and walked into the bathroom, making faces as he went. "Good," he mocked, stepping up to the sink and grabbing his toothbrush.

_Mustang sure acted funny when I asked him how he knew… I thought it was a pretty simple question._

Ed let that thought swim around in his mind for a little while, and then shrugged it off.

_It's probably nothing. I'll just have to keep it in my subconscious for later._

* * *

><p>Roy locked the front door before following the two young boys down the stairs to the car. He shifted the keys in his hand, hanging onto the car key as he opened the door and got inside. He moved to put his seatbelt on, glancing up at the rearview mirror, and he stopped instantly.<p>

"Ed… are you tall enough to legally ride without a booster seat?"

Smoke flew from the blonde's ears, and Roy sighed, plugging his ears as the inevitable tirade came flying from the backseat.

"Okay, Ed, okay. No booster seat."

Ed continued to grumble under his breath, but Roy said nothing. He pulled out of the driveway and started down the road, quickly getting lost in thought.

He had completely blanked when Ed had asked him how he knew. What was he supposed to tell him? He didn't honestly know.

Maybe it had been a long day at the office going through human transmutation files… maybe it was the anniversary of the war that had nearly driven him insane. Maybe it was… something about the brother. He looked so terribly guilty that night in the rain, and he certainly hadn't tried to pretend the transmutation happened.

Then there was that report from Risembool. He was supposed to go investigate it, but then he got pulled suddenly, and Basque Grand went in his place.

He grimaced slightly, shaking his head. _I never liked that man. _

Then again... when he thought about it, there were other signs. The boy didn't look healthy, even besides the injuries. He had looked like he had lost his appetite for several weeks on end, and his ribs were showing. Even now after a week of hearty meals, he was still a little on the thin, pale side. It was true what he said about the medical records, and how new the automail looked. And when the automail had been removed, Roy saw the cut was clean. Perfect. Of course, the doctor could have shaped it that way, but still… perhaps it was a far throw, but it had been the right far throw, and he knew the boy's secret now.

Glancing in the mirror again, he gripped the wheel a little tighter.

_I have to protect them. Somehow, someway… I have to keep them safe._

"Now, if you both behave today, we'll stop for ice cream on the way back. How does that sound?"

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><p><strong>Review...? Please? Maybe?<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**A\N: Okay, another chapter! Sorry it's so short... things are going to pick up now that... well, that'd be giving spoilers. So read it, and you'll see why it's going to pick up. And hopefully the chapters will become at least a LITTLE bit longer... **

**_Mentions:_awesomenaruto, Gothic-Romantic99, Luka Luger, MissyRog, hjkdjxnnxncjcjgiff;, Kick-Aft, anon, bezawesome, Mage of Hope, Ayla27, MissVenusVixen, evilblackfirefox, Noxy the Proxy, The OMG Cat, Laprechaungirl, Seeker Heart, FullMetalMiniSkirt, Linkinpark6XVyaoifan, Belladonna209, Roy-Mustang's-Girl, Kitten1313, and Angel-Moon17 thank you all so much for your reviews! I really appreciate it!  
><strong>

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"Does your ice cream taste good?" Roy glanced in his rearview mirror, licking his own chocolate cone as he made his way towards his house.<p>

"Mm-hmm!" Al nodded his head, licking his strawberry scoop.

Ed's tongue slowly trailed up his vanilla, but he didn't answer. He was staring out the window with a vacant look in his eyes.

"Ed, how's that ice cream?"

Ed jumped slightly. "Huh? Oh, it's great… thanks."

Roy nodded to him. "You're welcome." He turned into the driveway and parked the car, pulling the keys from the ignition. His fingers hovered over the door handle, eyes riveted on the front door to his house.

_Something isn't right…_

Ed and Al both got out on each side of the car, running towards the stairs, and Roy's mind shifted into overdrive, throwing his door open and standing up.

"Boys, wait!" he called, earning curious looks from the two of them. "Wait for me, please…"

_I can't very well not go into my own home… but something about this isn't right… and I don't know what…_

His stomach churned in protest to his course of action choice.

"Come on, slowpoke," Ed bellowed, hands on his hips. "I wanna get inside. I never got to finish reading my book."

"I'm coming, Ed. Be patient."

Both boys frowned at him, confused by his sudden change in attitude, and he looked down at them, willing the two boys to understand something was wrong.

Al shrugged his shoulders, walking towards the door, but Ed continued to look at him. All of a sudden, Ed didn't look so snarky. He paled a little, and he moved closer to Roy, motioning his little brother to do the same.

_Thank goodness…_

Roy took each of their hands and walked up to the door, sticking his key into the lock for show—he knew it was already open. He fiddled with it a little and then turned the knob, slowly opening the door and stepping inside.

"Alright, boys. Let's head upstairs so you two can bath. You're covered in grass and dirt."

Ed stuck his tongue out, trying to play along, and Al gave him a light shove, following his brother's example.

Roy looked around as they headed up the stairs. Nothing was out of place, nothing was missing. The kitchen was empty from what he could see—and he could see most of it—and the living room was in the same condition. The hall ahead was clear, and none of the doors were open or looked like they'd been tampered with. No traps hung from the ceilings, and the floors were clear of any devices as well.

_Wait a minute…_

Roy slowly leaned over the banister, looking at the door that lead to storage under the stairs. The door was open. Roy kept his weapons in there.

"Ed, Al, ru—"

Searing pain shot through his shoulder and chest, and the loud, resounding sound of gunfire echoed through the house. Roy stumbled back, blood pouring from the wound, staining the wall and carpeting.

_Where did it come from?  
><em>Roy's vision blurred as he looked around, trying to find the source. "Al… Ed… Car… Now!"

The two boys scrambled for the door, Roy following right behind them. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his glove, slipping it onto his hand.

The gun fired again, and this time the bullet went straight through his gloved hand, destroying the symbol and soaking the white fabric crimson.

"M-Mustang!"

"Get in the car!" Roy opened the door, still looking for the hidden shooter, and shoved the boys out. Grabbing his side arm, he started to back out of the house, a million different thoughts running through his head at once.

_Who is it? What does he or she want? Are they using my gun or theirs? Who should I tell? Hughes? Riza? What does this person want? Are they Ishvalan? Is it revenge?_

"M-Mustnag-san!"

Roy jumped at Al's panicked voice, and he backed all the way out of the house, slamming the door. "What is—Alphonse!"

Al lay on the ground holding his head, blood pooling beneath him. Roy ran down the steps, tripping over the last one but somehow managing to land on his knees beside Al.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Roy looked around. "Where's your brother?"

"S-someone… a man… hit me on the head, and… he took Ed!"

Al grit his teeth, trying not to cry, and Roy held a glove to his head, looking over his shoulder to see if the mystery gunman had left the house. No… the threat was still there. He couldn't just sit on the sidewalk.

"Hold on, Al. I'm going to take you to… someone. We'll get help, alright?"

"Ed… What about Ed?"

Roy removed his jacket, wrapping it around the boy's body and placing him in the backseat. "I'll find him, alright? Right now, we're going to focus on making sure you stay with me."

"B-but—"

Still worried they were under surveillance from the person in his house, Roy jumped in the front seat and started the engine, pulling out of the driveway.

_No slashed tires. They weren't trying to keep me here._

One solid thought under his belt, he tried to think about it further despite the pounding of his heartbeat combined with the frantic cries in the backseat.

"Al, you need to calm down. You're going to hyperventilate." Roy reached back, rubbing the boy's side with one hand while the other remained on the wheel. "We're going to find your brother, alright? No matter what. I promise you."

"But Ed—"

"I promise you. Nothing matters. Nothing but you and your brother, do you understand?" Roy looked at him in the rearview, nearly swerving off the road as his vision blurred again, making him unable to see the lines.

_Nothing matters… _

Roy sighed heavily, returning both hands to the wheel and trying to steady himself. He wanted to get to Hughes' house, but he didn't want to go directly there in case he was being tailed. Then again, from the look of things, Al didn't have much time. Maybe Ed didn't either.

_Ed… what happened back there?_


	8. Chapter 8

**A\N: Yup... another chapter! This story is getting a little easier to write... a little. I'm still having some writer's block... I'll try to get these up a little faster!**_  
><em>

**Hope y'all enjoy! *heart*  
><strong>

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><p><em>Hnn… Mustang…? Al…? Where… am I?<em>

Ed's eyes opened slowly, meeting bright, fluorescent light that sent pain through his head. Golden eyes screwing shut automatically, he tried to listen to his surroundings and get a feel for what was going on.

_I hear… water trickling. And… a machine. It's beeping…_

He shifted slightly, a course rope rubbing against his ankles and wrists. He tried to breathe in through his mouth, but a gag was firmly tied around his head.

_Kidnapped…? Was I… really…?_

His entire body ached, throbbing slowly as his stomach began to churn. Fear crept into his chest, wrapping its slimy arms around his heart. A cough racked his body and he tried to roll over, opening his eyes again.

Ed blinked a few times, clearing the spots from his vision.

The room he was in looked like an old abandoned hospital. Wires and charts and machines everywhere—most of them broken or shut off. A needle was imbedded into his arm, liquid sliding from the IV drip down to his body.

_What are they giving me…? Are they going to kill me, or...?_

He took another shuddering gasp, but the air around him thicker than sludge, and his vision was quickly fading.

_I can't… can't… breathe… _

Blackness swirled over his field of sight, and he closed his eyes, trying to relax his muscles and breathe. Fear chased his heart rate up despite his attempt to stay calm, and his muscles started to contract, turning the simple act of inhaling into a near impossibility.

_B…breathe… air… air…_

"Oh…? Having problems, are we?"

Ed jumped slightly, head lolling to the side. _Who's… there…?_

A hand brushed against his cheek, and a few moments later, the gag was removed. Ed gasped in air, coughing violently at the dust being sucked down his airways.

"I didn't expect you to be allergic to dust. It makes sense that you couldn't breathe through your nose."

Ed swallowed hard and opened his eyes, trying to push his fears out of his mind. He was getting angry—he could tell from the way his heart was pounding and his face was all hot—but the fear was still there. Paralyzing fear…

"Who… are you?" He looked around in the pitch blackness, trying to sound braver than he felt.

"You don't need to know that, Edward. You just need to sit quietly and wait for Mr. Mustang to come get you. Alright?"

Ed blinked a few times, squinting in the dark. "M-Mustang…? Why would he…?"

A dark chuckle echoed through the room, chills travelling down Ed's spine.

"What a shame. After all those years without a father… and now the only man who ever cared for you is going to see you as a liability. What is it with you and causing problems for other people?"

Ed bit his lip, looking away. "I… I…" He finally stopped, unable to find the words to say what he wanted.

_I'm sorry…_

He blinked away tears, vaguely aware of fading footsteps. His little fingers curled around each other, unable to do much more because of his bonds. Rolling over slightly, he pressed his cheek against the cool metal of the table he was sitting on. The IV tugged at his arm, making him wince.

_I'm sorry… Mom…_

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><p>Roy swung the car in a haphazard semi-circle, going up on the curb as he pulled into the Lieutenant's driveway. He turned the engine off and tore the keys out, stumbling out of the vehicle and opening the door to the backseat.<p>

"Al, stay awake. Stay awake, okay?"

"M…Mustang…san…"

Roy cursed silently, grabbing the boy up and running towards the house. Warm liquid soaked from Al's clothing into his, and Roy ran a little faster, trying to calculate how much blood had been lost in his head.

_I can't take him to a hospital… I can't! If I do, I'll have serious explaining to do, and I can't afford to fill out paperwork when Ed's out there and there's a kidnapper on the loose._

He pounded on the front door of her house, cradling Alphonse in one arm and trying to keep the boy conscious.

"Al! Alphonse, stay awake."

Al's head rolled to the side, and Roy jostled him a bit, knocking again.

"Alphonse, I need you to stay with me," he said, giving the boy a light slap on the cheek. "Come on, stay with me!"

The door swung inward, and Roy looked up to see Riza standing there with wide eyes and a confused expression on her face.

"Can I come in?" he asked, glancing around him, still slightly out of breath. "Quickly, please."

She stepped out of the way, nodding sharply, and he stepped past her, shutting the door and standing on the welcome mat.

"Ed's been kidnapped, and Alphonse is losing a lot of blood."

Riza sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Colonel… you really need to take him to the hospital. I can only do so much—"

"I can't! You know the military will demand an explanation, and it will cast too much attention on me. I need to be able find Ed as quickly as possible. Then we can address this whole… situation."

Riza looked between him and Al, her face scrunching up as she scowled. "Colonel…" She sighed, shaking her head. "I will follow orders."

Roy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Al coughed, turning into Roy's chest and grabbing he man's shirt. "M-Mustang-san?"

"You stabilize him awhile. I have to call Hughes and see if I can get information about this kidnapping."

Riza nodded, clipping her bangs out of her eyes and rolling up her sleeves. "Hand him over."

Roy did so, and Riza ran up the stairs two at a time, her housecoat flying out behind her.

_Thank you, Lieutenant. _

Turning on his heel, he ran into the kitchen, trying not to spill his blood on the flooring. He glanced around and spotted the phone on the wall, running over and picking it up.

_Hughes… Hughes can access the information I need. But… is it enough?  
><em>"Hello?"

"Hughes? It's me. Ed's been kidnapped, and Al is severely injured. Hawkeye's looking at him right now, but I need you gather information for me." He doubled over, feeling out of breath and shaky. "I need to know who's been on the run and what criminals I'm dealing with, and I want someone to check the surveillance cameras in my house, and—"

"Woah, woah, slow down. Back up a little. What happened?"

Roy clutched his chest, taking in a few deep breaths and trying to recall the details. "I took the boys out for ice cream. We got home, and I sensed something wasn't right. I can't remember all the details… but we were attacked. I was fighting the attacker inside, and I told the boys to run for the car. They did… and the next thing I knew, Alphonse had a head injury, and Ed was gone. It's honestly… all very fuzzy."

Hughes sighed, and there was a sound like rustling papers from the other end. "Alright, hold on… let me see what I have. So it wasn't a one man job?"

Roy shook his head. "I don't think so, no…" Blackness pushed at the edges of his vision, and he gave his head another good, hard shake. "It had to have been more than one person."

"Okay…" More rustling, a chair squeaking. "I have a few things… should I bring them by Hawkeye's place?"

"Yes, please. And bring your medical kit—or whatever you have on you."

"Will do. See you in about fifteen minutes." There was silence from the other end, but Hughes hadn't hung up. "Roy…"

The colonel waited in silence, his hand slowly wandering to the bullet hole in his shoulder.

"We'll find him. Okay?"

Roy nodded stiffly, swallowing hard. "Right… we'll find him…"  
>Without waiting for a response, he lowered the phone to the rack and leaned against the wall. He jumped away when he realized he was staining her walls, wincing in pain at the movement.<p>

_The adrenaline… that was keeping the pain away… it's definitely gone…_

Time slowed and colors blurred together as the pain escalated.

_Alphonse… Edward… _

His knees hit the floor.

_What do I do?_

And he spiraled into the black.


	9. Chapter 9

**A\N: Sorry for the wait on this! I tried to make it a little longer to make up for the time it took... Mentions will be in the next chapter!  
><strong>

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><p>Roy's eyes opened slowly, light forcing its way through his eyelashes. He groaned, turning his head to the side and shutting his eyes again. A dull, throbbing pain worked its way through his shoulder and chest, pulling him form the gentle arms of sleep.<p>

"Roy! Roy, can you hear me?"

Roy turned his head back the other way, looking up at his best friend with confusion on his face. "Hughes…? What happened to me?"

"You were shot. You've been fading in and out of consciousness since yesterday morning, but this is the first time you've actually responded." Hughes dabbed his forehead with a wet rag. "Your fever started to drop about an hour ago, so I figured you'd wake up fairly soon."

Roy stared up at the ceiling, blinking slowly. "I don't… I feel… I'm forgetting something…"

Hughes got very quiet, and Roy's heart beat a little faster.

"Hughes, what happened?" he questioned, trying to force himself into a sitting position.

"Ed was kidnapped."

Roy froze as everything rushed back to him, onyx eyes widening with horror. "Ed!" He jerked upright in bed, only to fall back down as fire seared through his torso. "Did you find him? Have you looked for him? Is Al okay? Where is he?"

Hughes pressed down on his good shoulder and stomach, trying to keep him still. "Roy, calm down! Riza went out with Havoc this morning to look for him. Al is a little banged up, but the worst of it was a head concussion. He's sleeping right now, which is what you need to do."

Roy shook his head, trying to gather enough strength to fight the pressure Hughes was applying. "I have to fi him. He's probably terrified and injured—maybe even dead—he needs me!"

"You're no good to him like this." Hughes shook his head. "Give it a few more hours, take some pain killers, eat something, and then we'll see what we can do, alright? Riza should be reporting back by lunchtime. I'll come and get you when she does." Hughes disappeared into the bathroom and came back out with pills and a cup of water. "Take these and I"ll go get you something to eat."

Roy took the capsules with a scowl, slowly pushing himself into a recline position and swallowing them. "Can you tell Al to come in here?"

Hughes nodded, walking out the door, and Roy was left alone with his thoughts.

_Ed's been kidnapped… why? What could they want with him? What are they going to do? Beat him? Kill him? Hold him for ransom? What… what if they rape him? Or cut his other limbs off to try some new automail? Or what if they use him for science experiments?_

Roy shook his head, wincing at the pain. He couldn't think about things like that—he'd go out of his mind.

_How is Al taking all this? First his brother nearly dies from a hit and run, and just when things are looking up, that very brother goes missing. To top it all off, he gets a head concussion and plenty of cuts and bruises. _

Roy heard the doorknob turn, and he jumped slightly, pulling himself from his thoughts. "Al?"

The young blonde creaked the door open, stepping into the room hesitantly. He stared at Roy with big golden eyes, unshed tears glistening in the lamplight.

"Mustang-san… how are you feeling?" he asked, unable to force a smile.

Roy spread his arms. "Come here, buddy."  
>Al stood still for a moment, lips quivering, and then he rushed forwards. He clambered onto the bed, throwing himself into his caretaker's arms. "He's gone, Mustang-san! What do I do? What do I do?" He sobbed into Roy's shoulder, trembling violently as the cries overtook his body.<p>

"Shh… shh… it's going to be okay. You'll see. I'll find him." Roy tried his best to soothe Al, but the boy continued to wail, his little fingers curling through Roy's shirt.

"What if I never see him again? What will I do without him? I'll be all alone!"

Roy shook his head, separating them and taking Al by the shoulders. "You will not be alone. Even if… even if we don't find Ed, I will make sure you are never alone again. Do you understand me?"

Al nodded solemnly, still holding onto Roy's shirt.

"But we will find Ed."

Al dragged his sleeve over his eyes. "H-how?"

Roy leaned back in bed again, pulling Al against his chest. "I don't know yet… but I will find him. I know that much."

Al sniffled quietly, curling up against Roy's side. "I miss him…"

Roy stroked his hair gently, hating himself for being unable to do anything more. "I miss him, too."

There was a heavy silence between them, but it was somehow comforting. They were in this together. They weren't alone. They were going to find Ed.

They both knew it.

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><p>"Boy… are you alive…?"<p>

Ed coughed harshly, his ribcage shuddering with the spasm of his muscles. He turned towards the door to the room, frowning when he saw a young girl there. He opened his mouth with the intention of asking who she was, but… talking was so…exhausting…

"Hey, boy…" The little girl ran over to him, reaching out and poking his face. "Do you want food?"

His eyes widened, and he managed to make his head move up and down in a half-hearted nod.

_Yes! Yes, please! I'm starving!_

"I'll see if I can find some! Just wait here for me!"

She got up and turned around, running out of the cold room, her faded sundress flowing as she ran. Ed watched her leave, his stomach growling at the thought of a meal. He hadn't eaten since he woke up in this place... however long ago that was.

The man who he had talked to when he first woke up only came in every once in a while. He would give Ed some shots and write furiously on a clipboard, his eyes getting crazed with excitement behind his frameless glasses. He would begin to mumble excitedly to himself, and then he would run out of the room, shouting things Ed didn't understand.

_I just want to get out of here… I don't even care if I have to live with Mustang and his stupid rules… I want to get out…_

"Here! I found some food!" The girl ran back into the room and over to the corner, where he sat shivering. "It's just some old biscuits, but we can share them."

Ed blinked. "You… you don't have any food either?"

The girl shook her head, red braids cascading down her back.

"Oh… well…" Ed took one biscuit and bit into it, ignoring that fact that it had to be at least a month old. "You make sure you eat enough to be full. I don't want you to get sick…" Ed scarfed down the rest of it, sighing tiredly. "I'm Ed. What's your name? And what are you doing here?"

The girl smiled, handing him another roll. "My name's Nina! I live here with my daddy!"

Ed nodded slowly. "Cool…" He took the food and began to nibble. "Do you know how to get out of here?"

Nina shook her head again. "No… Daddy says I can never leave here."

Ed huffed. "Well, I'm going to! And I won't leave you down here to rot… we'll go together."

"Okay!" The little girl smiled, laughing happily. "So how do we get out?"

Ed looked down, kicking a nearby stone. "I don't know… but I'll figure it out! I'm going home! Whether he likes it or not."

Nina nodded eagerly. "I think I would like to get out, too… I miss the sunshine."

Looking up, Ed smiled at her. "I'll make sure you see it again."

"Promise?" She peered up at him, hope flickering in the depths of her forest green eyes.

"Promise, Nina."

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><p><strong>A\N: OMG NINA! :D So, yeah, I imagine she's about... five in this... maybe six. This will be addressed in the next chapter.<br>**

**Please review!  
><strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**A\N: Not much to say on this chapter, honestly... I don't know how much longer this is going to be, but I'd like to try and wrap it up fairly soon. I would say... four more chapters maximum. **

****_Mentions: _awesomenaruto, Gothic-Romantic99, Luka Luger, MissyRog, hjkdjxnnxncjcjgiff;, Kick-Aft, anon, bezawesome, Mage of Hope, Ayla27, MissVenusVixen, evilblackfirefox, Noxy the Proxy, The OMG Cat, Laprechaungirl, Seeker Heart, FullMetalMiniSkirt, Linkinpark6XVyaoifan, Belladonna209, Roy-Mustang's-Girl, Kitten1313, Angel-Moon17, reviewer74, , NightwingIronman, Shirayuki, Firaga Productions, colonelduckie, Flame-Metal-Heart, madcat153, and Chii! Thank you all for your reviews!  
><strong>**

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><p>"Are you sure this information is valid?"<p>

Hughes glanced up at his best friend, noting the bags under his eyes with a frown. He paused for a moment before replying. "Yes. I doubled checked it all this morning."

"Then these are the locations we should check?"

He shook his head. "I didn't get a chance to edit it. Riza and I checked three of those locations before lunch, and we decided there was one other place we should check."

"Tell me where." Roy's pen hovered over the map, ready to mark of the unnecessary locations.

Hughes pointed them out, watching Roy's movements very carefully. He looked tired and disoriented, and the way his fingers fumbled with the sheets wasn't very comforting.

"Roy, you should rest for another day at the least. Riza and I can keep looking for him."

"No, I have to find him." Roy got to his feet, taking the map with him. "You convinced me to rest for the past three days now. I'm done. I need to find him."

Hughes sighed heavily. It wasn't as if he hadn't expected that answer, but still, Roy needed to take care of himself. Even Alphonse had made a comment at dinner the night before. Roy was running himself into the ground.

"Roy…"

Obsidian eyes peered at him. "I know what you're going to say, but try to imagine if this was Elysia who was missing."  
>Hughes raised an eyebrow. "So it's official then? You see him as your son?"<p>

Roy blinked, stuttering a little as he realized what he had just implied. "I… w-well…" He lowered his gaze to the floor, thinking over that question for several moments. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I… yes, I do. I think of both of them that way."

Hughes crossed his arms over his chest, watching his best friend closely. If he was going to talk about Ed and Al that way, he was going to have to commit. "If you really mean that, what are you going to do about it?"

Roy's head snapped up. "I'm going to get him back!"

Hughes shook his head, standing up and approaching the young colonel. "No, I mean after that. You can't say they're like your sons and then let them go back onto the streets after Ed's back."

"No, of course not! Not… not the streets, but…"

Hughes tapped his finger on his bicep, frowning. "Roy, either you're committed to them or you're not. They can't afford to have a wishy-washy father figure."

Roy was quiet for several moments. He stared down at the floor, his brow scrunched up as he thought about the situation.

"I…" He stopped again.

Hughes watched him, encouraged by the fact that he was putting a large amount of thought into this. Perhaps he had even thought about it during his many hours of bed rest.

"I… I want to…" Roy grit his teeth, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "I want to love them. To… to raise them and protect them. And… I guess if that means… I'm a single father then… then… that's what I want."

Hughes stared at him for a few more moments, but Roy didn't take back anything he had said. He seemed uncertain—what sudden single father of two children wouldn't be?—but determined.

Hughes ginned, nodding slowly. "Good. Good…" He grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and started towards the door. "Then let's go looking for your boy."

Roy smiled, making a bee-line for the door. "Right!"

They passed the living room, waving to Alphonse, who was sitting on Riza's lap and reading a book to her.

"We'll be back in a few hours, Lieutenant!"

Riza nodded. "Call me if you need anything."

"We will!" Roy bounded down the steps, Hughes on his heels.

_He has a little more of a spring in his step. Now if only we could find Ed…_

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><p>Ed looked around, but he couldn't see anything. It was pitch black everywhere he turned, and his eyes were taking forever to adjust.<p>

_Where am I?_

He started to walk, arms stretched out in front of him as he attempted to feel where he was going.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he called.

His own voice echoed back to him, and he swallowed hard, fear creeping into his veins. He looked down when he heard a splash, now up to his ankles in some sort of liquid. He inched forwards slowly, his feet moving through the liquid.

_It's not getting any deeper…_

He started to pick up speed, now able to see his hands when he held them in front of his face.

"H-hello? Am I alone in here?"

He looked around as he ran, pumping his arms as his feet pounded into the water. The wetness splashed up his legs, and it was strangely warm. A little sticky, too… it didn't feel like water, anyways. That he knew for sure.

"Can someone help me? I think I'm lost!"

Ed looked around, slowly coming to a stop. He panted heavily, doubling over on his knees.

_Wh… wh… what?!_

Ed straightened up, horror flashing through his eyes.

_I… I can feel my skin! On my leg… and my arm…_

Ed reached up and touched his face with his right hand, the soft, supple fingers tracing over his cheek in a way metal never could.

_No… No, this isn't right! What's happening?_

Ed heard the fluids move behind him, and he turned to see what had caused the sound, his heart leaping into his throat. An eerie purple light glowed, illuminating the grotesque form on the ground and the pool of blood he was standing in.

"M… M… Mom?"

"Ed… ward…"

Ed stepped back, tears streaming down his cheeks and falling to the crimson stains below. "Mom!"

"Ed… ward…"

Ed struggled to turn around, wanting nothing more than to run away, but he couldn't move. His heart pounded in his ears, and his breath came in shallow gasps and wheezes. Something grabbed onto his body, and he struggled against it madly. He could feel the tension in his muscles, yet he wasn't moving. He screamed.

"Edward…"

"No, stop! Leave me alone!"

"Edward…"

"Go away!"

"Edward…"

"Mom… M-Mom…"

"Edward…"

"I…

"Edward…"

"I'm sorry!"

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><p>Golden eyes snapped open, and a loud scream filled the air. He gasped for air, sweat sliding down his face as he shuddered and convulsed on the metal table, his heart racing between his lungs.<p>

"Ed, are you okay?"  
>Ed turned his head slightly, staring at the girl beside him with fear in his eyes. "N-Nina…?"<p>

The little girl stared at him, her thumb hanging from her mouth. "You were screaming… are you okay?" she repeated.

"I… I…" Ed screwed his eyes shut, a soft sob escaping his mouth. "Mom…"

He felt a gentle hand settle on his head. He cried a little harder, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Nina continued to pat his head, watching in absolute silence as he let out his pent up fear and frustration, his wails growing in volume until they were the only thing he could define as a sound.

"Mom… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

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><p><strong>A\N: Please review!<strong>


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